Scientific illustration

Ukichiro Nakaya, professor of physics at Hokkaido university, performed the first systematic study of snow crystals and published this in 1954 in a volume entitled 'Snow Crystals: Natural and Atrificial'.

This fernlike stellar dendrite crystal was modelled in 3ds Max and rendered using a variation of the Brazil R/S glass shader incorporating dispersion based on the CIE 1964 D6500 spectra.

Image available for license from Science Photo Library.